Pyrazine as a building block for molecular architectures with PtII.

A series of pyrazine (pz) complexes containing cis-(NH(3))(2)Pt(II), (tmeda)Pt(II) (tmeda = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine), and trans-(NH(3))(2)Pt(II) entities have been prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography and/or 1H NMR spectroscopy. In these compounds, the pz ligands act as monodentate (1-3) or bidentate bridging ligands (4-7). Three variants of the latter case are described: a dinuclear complex [Pt(II)]2 (4b), a cyclic tetranuclear [Pt(II)](4) complex (5), and a trinuclear mixed-metal complex [Pt2Ag] (7). Mono- and bidentate binding modes are readily differentiated by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and the assignment of pz protons in the case of monodentate coordination is aided by the observation of (195)Pt satellites. Formation of the open molecular box cis-[{(NH3)2Pt(pz)}4](NO3)8.3.67H2O (5) from cis-(NH3)2Pt(II) and pz follows expectations of the "molecular library approach" for the generation of a cyclic tetramer.

Synthesis, characterisation and speciation studies of heterobimetallic pyridinehydroxamate-bridged Pt(II)/M(II) complexes (M = Cu, Ni, Zn). Crystal structure of a novel heterobimetallic 3-pyridinehydroxamate-bridged Pt(II)/Cu(II) wave-like coordination polymer.

The reaction of cis-[Pt(NH3)2(3-pyhaH)2]2+ (3-pyhaH = 3-pyridinehydroxamic acid) and cis-[Pt(NH3)2(4-pyhaH)2]2+ (4-pyhaH = 4-pyridinehydroxamic acid) with Cu(II), Ni(II) or Zn(II) in aqueous solution affords novel heterobimetallic pyridinehydroxamate-bridged complexes, {cis-[Pt(NH3)2(mu-3-pyha)M(mu-3-pyha)].SO4.xH2O}n and {cis-[Pt(NH3)2(mu-4-pyha)M(mu-4-pyha)].SO4.xH2O}n respectively. The crystal and molecular structure of one of these, {cis-[Pt(NH3)2(mu-3-pyha)Cu(mu-3-pyha)]SO4.8H2O}n 3a, has been determined and was found to be a novel heterobimetallic wave-like coordination polymer, the structure of which contains interlinked pyridinehydroxamate-bridged repeating units of Pt(II) and Cu(II) ions in slightly distorted square-planar N4 and O4 coordination environments respectively and extensive hydrogen-bonding through the Pt ammines and the deprotonated hydroxamate O and via the O of the SO4(2-) counterions and the H(N) of the hydroxamate moiety. Spectrophotometric and speciation studies on the other heterobimetallic systems confirm that very similar species are being formed in solution and based on elemental analysis and spectroscopic results analogous complexes are formed in the solid-state. In this paper, we report the first examples of coordination polymers incorporating both Pt(II)/Cu(II), Pt(II)/Ni(II) and Pt(II)/Zn(II) and containing pyridinehydroxamic acids as bridging scaffolds.

Ruthenium as an effective nitric oxide scavenger.

Whilst nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as one of the most versatile and ubiquitous molecules in the human body with a diverse range of physiological functions, dysfunction in NO biosynthesis or metabolism has led to the pathogenesis of a number of disease states. A variety of therapeutic strategies have therefore emerged that either reduce or increase endogenous NO levels depending on the disease pathology. The predominant strategy to date to reduce levels of NO is to utilise specific isoform selective inhibitors of nitric oxide synthases, the enzymes responsible for NO biosynthesis. An alternative line of attack, not related to specificity for a particular enzyme, but rather on compartmental localisation and pharmacokinetics, is to remove or scavenge the excess NO responsible for the disease pathology. In this regard, a number of NO scavenger molecules have demonstrated pharmacological activity across a broad spectrum of disease states. This review will highlight the rationale behind the development, and the current state of play, of one such class of NO scavengers, complexes of the d-block transition metal ruthenium. Prior to this, a brief overview of the remarkable diversity of NO, both from a chemical and biological viewpoint, will be provided for perspective.